Inoue vs Donaire 2 LIVE: Result and reaction after Inoue lands huge knockout

Follow reaction after Inoue claims three world titles with a second-round KO in the bantamweight rematch

2019: Naoya Inoue beats Nonito Donaire to win World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final

Naoya Inoue stopped Nonito Donaire midway through the second round on Tuesday night to emphatically win their rematch and unify three bantamweight world titles. 

Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) wasted no time in his second meeting with Donaire, knocking down the veteran champion at the end of the first round and again midway through the second. Inoue’s relentless pressure and power ended the fight at 1:24 in Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo. He adds Donaire’s WBC belt to his own WBA and IBF straps with his fourth consecutive stoppage victory. The Japanese star is considered one of the world’s top pound-for-pound talents and now hopes to unify all four major bantamweight titles if he can land a fight with WBO bantamweight champ Paul Butler later this year. 

Inoue abruptly dropped Donaire with a short right hand moments before the bell to end the first round. Donaire got up comfortably, but Inoue piled on the pressure in the second round and hurt his opponent with a series of accurate shots. After a short left hand put Donaire on wobbly legs in the center of the ring early in the second round, Inoue finished him in the corner with a right-left combination that dropped Donaire to his back on the canvas. 

Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire

• Inoue knocks out Donaire in Round 2 at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena
• Japanese adds WBC belt to his IBF and WBA Super titles with the win
• Inoue outpointed Filipino Donaire in pair’s first fight, in 2019

[7 June 2022 14:42 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Respect between the opponents, who have now fought twice.

Nonito Donaire (centre-right) congratulates Naoya Inoue on his knockout victory (AFP via Getty Images)

[7 June 2022 14:30 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Is Inoue the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet? That’s now 20 knockouts from 23 unanswered wins.

Naoya Inoue now holds the IBF, WBC and WBA Super bantamweight titles (AFP via Getty Images)

[7 June 2022 14:22 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Believe it or not, Donaire had one or two (very fleeting) moments of success before being knocked down at the end of Round 1.

Nonito Donaire (right) was dropped late in Round 1 and finished in Round 2 (AFP via Getty Images)

[7 June 2022 14:19 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Another angle of the finishing sequence...

Naoya Inoue (left) stopped Nonito Donaire in the second round of their rematch (AFP via Getty Images)

[7 June 2022 14:11 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Read our main-event report here:

[7 June 2022 13:58 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Ahead of this fight, Inoue was No 5 on our list of the best pound-for-pound men’s boxers.

We think our rankings might need updating after that showing...

[7 June 2022 13:44 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Brutal.

[7 June 2022 13:37 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Inoue says he wants to become undisputed champion at bantamweight.

Having picked up the WBC title here, he just needs the WBO belt – held by Paul Butler – to accomplish that feat.

[7 June 2022 13:29 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Nothing like the pair’s first fight.

[7 June 2022 13:28 · Alex Pattle]

Inoue vs Donaire 2

Naoya Inoue def. Nonito Donaire via second-round knockout (1:24).